Former NYS DOT Employee Sentenced to Probation and Makes Full Restitution After Pleading Guilty to Theft of Over $3,800 in State Property

 

New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang announced today that a former New York State Department of Transportation (“NYSDOT”) Traffic Services Technician was sentenced to three years of probation after stealing and selling over $3,800 worth of scrap metal belonging to the State for his own benefit.

Anthony Agornyo, 52, of Oceanside, who pled guilty to Petit Larceny on November 9, 2023, resigned his position with New York State following his July 2023 arrest on charges of Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and Official Misconduct, following an investigation by the Offices of the New York State Inspector General (OIG). 

The Inspector General’s investigation, which involved extensive surveillance of Agornyo by OIG staff, revealed that Agornyo, between April 2022 and June 2023, while employed by the Department of Transportation, stole scrap metal from a NYSDOT scrapyard in Hauppauge, NY, on ten separate occasions. The investigation further uncovered that Agornyo used an agency-issued truck to transport and sell the stolen metal, which included traffic light poles, light cabinets, and other metals clearly marked “NYSDOT property,” to a local recycling business as scrap, enriching himself by over $3,800 in the process.

Following his previously entered plea of guilty, Agornyo was sentenced on January 25, 2023 in Nassau County District Court by the Hon. Michael Montesano to a term of three years’ probation. As a further condition of his plea, Agornyo made restitution in the amount of $3870.12 to NYSDOT.

“When a state employee takes advantage of their position in this way, they are not only breaking the law but are breaking their duty to their fellow state employees, and to all New Yorkers,” said Inspector General Lang. “Today and every day, our teams work to ensure that state employees have the utmost integrity and can be trusted with taxpayer funded state resources, no matter how big or how small.”

Inspector General Lucy Lang thanked the members of her staff responsible for conducting this investigation, including Deputy Inspector General for the Long Island Regional Office Jean Carsey, Deputy Chief of Investigations for the Downstate Region Dave Regazzi, Investigator Kevin Coleman, and Digital Forensic Investigator Tony Provenzano for their efforts. Inspector General Lang is also grateful to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly for her partnership and the members of her office for their diligence and professionalism in prosecuting this case.

If you suspect or witness fraud perpetrated by a state employee, you can file a complaint on our website IG.NY.GOV or by calling 1 (800) DO-RIGHT.